In a significant move to bolster the fitness levels of the national squad, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to appoint Nicholas Lee as the new Strength and Conditioning (S&C) coach for the Indian women’s cricket team.
As per the announcement on 1st January, 2026, the Englishman is expected to officially take the reins following the conclusion of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026, which is scheduled to wrap up on February 5.
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The timing of Lee’s appointment is meticulous. The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 is the main big tournament for women’s cricket in India at the start of the year, and the BCCI is keen on ensuring a smooth transition within the Indian national women’s team’s support staff once the league concludes. Nicholas Lee will join the team led by head coach Amol Muzumdar, taking on the crucial responsibility of Strength and Conditioning coach.
His role will be central to helping players stay fit and strong, an aspect that is now as critical as batting or bowling skills in modern-day cricket. Reports suggest that the BCCI had also held discussions with Australia’s Nathan Kiely, but Lee was eventually chosen because of his strong experience and proven success while working in Asian cricketing environments.
Who is Nicholas Lee?
Nicholas Lee is far from a stranger to the demands of international cricket. While he had a modest career as a first-class cricketer, scoring nearly 500 runs, it is his work off the field that has earned him global recognition. Over the years, Lee has built a strong reputation as a high-performance specialist, working with multiple international teams across demanding schedules and varied conditions.
His career highlights include a stint with the Afghanistan men’s team from 2024 to 2025, where he served as their Strength and Conditioning coach and oversaw a period of rapid physical improvement for the rising cricketing nation. Prior to that, Lee worked with the Bangladesh Cricket Board from 2020 to 2024 as Head of Physical Performance, a role in which he was credited with professionalising the training regimes of the senior team.
Between 2016 and 2020, Lee was associated with the Sri Lanka men’s team, working extensively with players to help them maintain fitness levels through gruelling international calendars. Most recently, he was part of the Gulf Giants coaching staff during the fourth season of the ILT20 in the UAE, adding franchise-level experience to his already extensive résumé.
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Lee will not have much time to settle into his new role. Immediately following the WPL final in Vadodara, the Indian women’s team is scheduled for a high-profile multi-format tour of Australia, beginning on February 15, 2026. The tour is expected to be one of the most demanding assignments of the season.
It includes three T20 Internationals in Sydney, Canberra, and Adelaide, followed by an ODI series starting in Brisbane, where India will enter as the reigning World Cup champions. The tour will culminate in a historic Day-Night Test at the WACA in Perth, scheduled from March 6 to 9.
Such a tough multi-format tour will place heavy physical demands on the players, requiring top-level cardiovascular fitness along with strong injury prevention and recovery protocols. Lee’s primary task will be to help the squad recover quickly from the intense and exciting WPL season, ensuring they are physically prepared to take on the exceptionally fit Australian side.
This appointment underlines the seriousness with which the BCCI is approaching the development of women’s cricket in India. By hiring a Strength and Conditioning coach with more than a decade of top-level experience across multiple international teams, India is clearly aiming to bridge the fitness gap with powerhouse sides such as Australia and England.
As the Women in Blue continue to perform consistently on the global stage, the presence of an expert like Nicholas Lee to manage player fitness, workloads, and recovery could prove to be the crucial edge they need heading into the 2026 season.
